Anne-Spotting: Second Shooting

I have a confession: I love second shooting.  It's not really possible to live off of second shooting or even replace expensive gear on a second shooting wage, but you also don't have nearly as many responsibilities, pressures, or expectations as you do when you're the main photographer.  You just show up for the event, create tons of great images, and then wash your hands of the rest.  There's a certain creative freedom that comes with not being required to get "the" shot- and I love remember what that feels like every once in a while to help spark new ideas and creativity I can give my own clients.  I did quite a bit of second shooting as I was toning down the marketing efforts of my own business in preparation for (and return from) my Adventure Year, but since my work from these events are spread out on everyone else's blog - I wanted to share them here so I can always go back and reference the work I've created for other people.  So, here are some of my favorite images that I've captured for other photographers - which is why you'll see their watermarks and links to their sites where you can see more. ;-)

State Room Wedding Details with Krista Photo

I love atmospheric details - and sometimes they get missed when we need to focus as primary photographers because we never want to get too far away from the action.  They're usually more interesting for us from a creative perspective rather than meaningful for our clients. ;-)

Ames Hotel Getting Ready with Krista Photo

Above was one of those moments where I couldn't eliminate the distracting person in the background but I just HAD to get the shot without it being "perfect" because the look on his face was too priceless. Below, Krista had run upstairs to get a shot from above, but I loved the light and detail of the staircase, so I grabbed it from the front.

Fruitlands Museum Wedding with MKD Photography

I love it when clergy surprise us all with quirky little personal stories and analogies.  A minister who can create laughter at a wedding is a true joy for everyone in the room.

I always try to find a way to grab a "working image" of the photographers I work with so you can get a real sense of what things are like behind the scenes of creating beautiful imagery.  In this case, Mike & Kate were doing double duty because it was a family wedding.

Gibbet Hill Wedding with Krista Photo

I was herding the wedding party from the sidelines, but there is always a lot of adjustment that needs to happen with large wedding parties before we can get just one "normal" posed group photo....

Granite Links Golf Club Wedding with Krista Photo

While everyone else was enjoying cocktail hour - I saw this little girl twirling and running through the grasses down the side of the hill, quite care-free about all the hubbub happening inside...

The biggest drawback to second shooting for me, personally, is that these aren't "my" clients, which means I don't get to have that lovely 2 year relationship of anticipating these amazing moments together and then reliving them through the album design process together.  All I get are the fond and fun memories that I captured for someone else based on only what was happening right then and there on the wedding day- but not the satisfaction of seeing how their lives transform and evolve over time, or how meaningful certain images were to family members that I never could have known if I hadn't spent time on an album together afterward.  So, while second shooting is fun and it fills in some of my creative itches- there's nothing like working one on one with a couple and their families from before their wedding to well after.  It's a joy and an honor to be present to these transformational moments in people's lives- and even more satisfying when I can continue that relationship beyond the wedding day.

Millenium Bostonian Hotel Wedding - MariaLisa & Liz

We could see the sun set on Boston's Faneuil Hall from the windows of the Millenium as Liz and MariaLisa were getting ready for their wedding ceremony.  They both looked stunning and their families were in full force, helping with all of their last minute details.  Together, they are the perfect Yin & Yang pair, complementing and strengthening each other.  MariaLisa, the organized planner and deadline keeper, and Liz, the free thinker and fashion finder.  On the wedding day they both walked down their own aisle in unison with their families, meeting in the middle, and by the end of the ceremony hardly a dry eye was left.  Their love for each other was contagious and as you'll see in the slideshow toward the reception- their energy infected everyone in the room.  You'll also see some of their unique and meaningful details playing on the idea of city night lights, and even a little horse drawn carriage, representing one of their favorite romantic memories together.  Don't miss MariaLisa's fist pump in the middle of the ceremony, when she was had snuck in a vow that Liz would agree to let her have a puppy!  Press play on the slideshow below to see a preview of their wedding day (note: music will play- adjust your speakers to your preferences.)


Venue & Catering: Millenium Bostonian Hotel
Flowers & Decor: Ilex Designs
DJ: Ari Rosenfield of Beattrain Productions
Wedding Gowns: Alfred Angelo Bridal Company Store
Wedding Party Tuxes: Men's Wearhouse
Wedding Party Dresses: Bride-N-Belle Boutique
Cake: Konditor Meister
Cityscape Canvas "Guestbook": www.greatbigcanvas.com
Groomsmen Shoes: Puma
 

Francisco Family Adventure Pt. 2 - Newton Public Library

Not many libraries are open on Sundays.  However, the Newton Free Library is not only open, it's packed with people scouring shelves for something new to read or a DVD to check out, study cubbies full of people writing or working on laptops, people sitting in lounges reading magazines and newspapers, and even families sitting in the dark theatre watching a free Sunday afternoon movie.  This was the first Massachusetts library I've seen that reminds me of the modern amenities I found in the public libraries in Brisbane, Australia.





Visiting libraries is a regular adventure for the Francisco family.  At the age of 11, Hannah still identifies with the children's section in the library, and prefers adventure and mystery books that take her to far off places and beef up her wit and mystery solving mind.  She wants to be the first female to play on the New England Patriots and she's already started working toward her goal by playing quarterback whenever she gets a chance to play football.  She's still open to her mom's suggestions in books and she loves when her grandmother sings "like an opera singer" to her favorite country songs.





When I set out to photograph a family adventure, I never know what I'm going to get or what photographic opportunities I'll have or not have in each space.  That's actually part of the fun for me - the challenge of finding good light, an interesting background, and the right moment all while not stopping the action or controlling the scene.  This is part of what I love about wedding and event photography as well- the creative challenge of great images within whatever conditions exists.  



With limited time in her schedule to read, Rhoda was interested in finding a particular book, while Hannah was in the acquisition phase of building her personal collection of as many bookmarks as she could find.  One was even a sticker for the Sierra Club.






While Rhoda searched for a particular book, Rose and Hannah were happy to browse and pick up whatever they found.  I saw the opportunity to get a great shot that would combine the beautiful architecture of the atrium with the three generations of ladies- so Hannah and I went upstairs for a test shot.  Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that including both the grand architecture and a shot of them filling the windows was not going to work out- as you can hardly see Hannah waving from the middle window across the room. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, but it never hurts to try. ;-)



What did work, was hanging out with Hannah for a bit and catching her in this short candid moment when she was watching her mom below while resting her head on the stack of books she had already acquired.



Hannah's second favorite section is the movie section, where she's careful about selecting movies that are PG, or asking her mom for permission to watch PG-13 movies. 





Little did I know, Rhoda, Hannah, and Rose were hoping to surprise me with a gift of books from the library book sale racks. ;-)  I ended up with three lovely books from our adventure together!  I love this hint of expression with daughter telling mom how cool or uncool things are as she develops her own opinions about the world as she knows it.



Even though a family adventure is about creating a candid moments of life as it is right now, I always want to make sure that I get at least one image with everyone looking at the camera- because that's important too. ;-)





Not wanting our adventure to end... Hannah lingered in the snow and had a few more moments that reflect her love of play, silliness, and adventure.  I'm so grateful that we got to spend this afternoon together- they such are an inspiring little family with big hearts and joyful generosity.



Even if you can't have me follow you around for a day taking pictures of your little slices of life, I hope that my appreciation of these small ordinary moments will help you see the beauty in your own life.  As simple or complex as it may be, never forget to stop and appreciate everything just as it is, right now.  Life changes quickly, but we can save ourselves from regret by stopping to acknowledge the love and beauty that is already present in our current reality.  Celebrate life as it is right now, not when or if it reaches some ideal.  As Rhoda wrote in her letter to Hannah, "Weird is Wonderful."

Francisco Family Adventure Pt. 1 - Boston Buddha Vararam Temple

During February, I was on my own personal secret mission to give back and pay forward in whatever way inspired me.  When I read Rhoda's blog post, Why Weird is Wonderful: A Letter from a Single Mom to her Daughter, I remembered what it felt like when I was her daughter's age.  Eleven years old, trying to figure out my identity and where I fit in with my peers, while living with a single mom who was doing her best to be a sole provider.  Around 12 years old, during the middle school and high school years, my hormones kicked in along with my desire to rebel against my mother and carve my own path in the world as a moody and independent teenager who didn't need mom's help anymore.  How I wish I could have captured my mother and I just before that shift, when she was my biggest superhero and I was her little eager apprentice.

Another thing that struck me while reading Rhoda's post, is that I don't have any images with my grandmother, mother, and myself in the same image.  I have images of them separately, but I can't recall seeing any of us all together.  My grandmother didn't live long after I was born, and in many ways, not having a photo of us together makes her feel even more distant and separate to me.  I didn't want this to be the case for 11-year-old Hannah.  While her grandmother Rose has multiple children, Hannah only has one grandmother, and she's so lucky that they live together and get to spend so much time together right now.  As we all know, life is too short, and these moments don't get to last forever.

So, on an inspired whim, I offered the Francisco family a gift- to document a small slice of their life just as it is right now.  A day of them sharing and discovering things together, with me tagging along capturing moments as they happen on a random Saturday in February.  Here is what I saw, and what I learned....



We started our shoot with a few quiet moments at the Boston Buddha Vararam Temple in Bedford, MA.  Like most things in New England, the outside of the building is fairly understated and the real beauty unfolds as you discover the secrets within.  If you decide to become adventurous and visit a Buddhist temple, it is customary to remove your shoes at the door.





It is still through watching her mother and grandmother, that Hannah comes to understand the importance of rituals, sacred traditions, and ways of fostering a spiritual connection. The subtle differences in how they hold their fingers, whether they close their eyes, and bow their heads, reflect their uniqueness and similarities all at once.





Subtle moments, such as grandma Rose, remaining in her own space and prayer even after her daughter and granddaughter have stood up, show the differences in pace and ritual as they relate to their personalities and different stages of life right now.



While this particular temple mostly serves Thai speakers and visitors, it is open to everyone with guided chants and meditations on Sundays, and even melon carving lessons on Saturday evenings, which we discovered by speaking to the monk who was present while we were there.








Hannah loves taking photos with her phone and created some great little portraits of me, which she edited with filters and snowflakes all while we were having lunch at Flatbread Co. before we started our adventures together.  She sings along and dances in her seat when she likes a song- in fact, we both had a little jam in our seat moment when Mumford & Sons started playing- and she loves beautiful handcrafts like this paper bouquet sitting near the door as we left the temple.



Tomorrow, I'll share the second part of our adventure together. Feel free to sign up and have my blog delivered weekly to your email, or to subscribe for instant updates using any of the RSS feed options.

Health Coach Headshot - Dawn Oulton

Just before Dawn was ready to launch her new website Healthful Horizons - Health Coaching, she contacted me about creating a headshot for her online presence that conveyed her friendly and optimistic nature, along with her casual and understanding approach to nutritional and lifestyle coaching.  She decided that she wanted a couple different environmental backgrounds to choose from, and we discovered that were able to create some beautiful images, and only steps away from her front door!   She has a great newsletter with health and lifestyle tips, which you can sign up for on her website: www.healthfulhorizons.com.  Likewise, if you're interested in a headshot session with me, just click the contact link to get in touch!